Myers about to make history

Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 12:48 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 12:48 a.m.

The last time Davidson County had a baseball player in the major leagues was when former West Davidson and UNC Charlotte standout Sean Whiteside pitched in two games for the Detroit Tigers in 1995.

That's probably going to change in four or five months and there could be a pair of local guys — or even more — staying in the "show" for a long time.

Wil Myers of Thomasville, who starred in high school at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, seems like a sure thing to be the Tampa Bay Rays' starting left fielder, if not on Opening Day in 2013, then no more than a few weeks into the season.

His name sure has been in the news the last couple of days.

Myers, just 22 years old, was the 2012 minor league player of the year after smashing 37 home runs and driving in 109 runs between the Kansas City Royals' Class AA and Class AAA teams. The slugging outfielder hit .301 with 24 homers and 79 RBIs at Class AAA Omaha. Those are some eye-popping numbers.

Incredibly, the Royals just traded Myers and three other prospects to the Rays for workhorse starter James Shields and dominating reliever Wade Davis. It really looks like the Rays — once again — pulled off a heist.

While there were three other prospects in the deal, Myers is clearly the centerpiece. If he does begin the season at Class AAA Durham, it's difficult to imagine Myers staying there long considering the Rays gave up two front-line pitchers. Prior to the 2012 season, Myers was listed as the No. 28 prospect in Baseball America with a projected arrival in the major leagues in 2013.

The only knock on Myers is he strikes out a lot — 140 times last season. But most sluggers strike out a lot. Reggie Jackson struck out 2,597 times, a sum greater than the 2,584 hits he collected. But it didn't keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

Myers looks like the next Evan Longoria. He may be a fixture in the Royals' outfield for many years.

Levi Michael, who starred at North Davidson and UNC, looks to be a couple of years behind Myers in terms of reaching the bigs even if his path is less certain. Myers went straight from high school to the Royals' system after being drafted in the third round in 2009. Michael played at UNC for three years before being the Minnesota Twins' first-round pick in 2011.

There's so much upside for Michael, who made his pro debut at the Advanced-A level and hit .246 at Fort Myers. Michael won't turn 22 until Feb. 9, 2013 and he's really a year ahead in the game. After graduating early from North Davidson, Michael was playing his freshman season for the Tar Heels when he still could have been a senior in high school.

Because he's a first-round pick and the Twins have a lot of money invested in him, Michael will be given every chance to succeed.

Avoiding injuries is crucial for Michael or any other player. David Thomas looked to be on his way up in the Oakland A's system but injuries slowed him. The A's released Thomas during spring training in what would have been his fourth season. The former Ledford and Catawba star played two more seasons for the independent Grand Prairie Air Hogs in Texas before retiring from the game.

Mike Duprez can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 218 or mike.duprez@the-dispatch.com.

<p>The last time Davidson County had a baseball player in the major leagues was when former West Davidson and UNC Charlotte standout Sean Whiteside pitched in two games for the Detroit Tigers in 1995.</p><p>That's probably going to change in four or five months and there could be a pair of local guys — or even more — staying in the "show" for a long time.</p><p>Wil Myers of Thomasville, who starred in high school at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, seems like a sure thing to be the Tampa Bay Rays' starting left fielder, if not on Opening Day in 2013, then no more than a few weeks into the season.</p><p>His name sure has been in the news the last couple of days.</p><p>Myers, just 22 years old, was the 2012 minor league player of the year after smashing 37 home runs and driving in 109 runs between the Kansas City Royals' Class AA and Class AAA teams. The slugging outfielder hit .301 with 24 homers and 79 RBIs at Class AAA Omaha. Those are some eye-popping numbers.</p><p>Incredibly, the Royals just traded Myers and three other prospects to the Rays for workhorse starter James Shields and dominating reliever Wade Davis. It really looks like the Rays — once again — pulled off a heist. </p><p>While there were three other prospects in the deal, Myers is clearly the centerpiece. If he does begin the season at Class AAA Durham, it's difficult to imagine Myers staying there long considering the Rays gave up two front-line pitchers. Prior to the 2012 season, Myers was listed as the No. 28 prospect in Baseball America with a projected arrival in the major leagues in 2013.</p><p>The only knock on Myers is he strikes out a lot — 140 times last season. But most sluggers strike out a lot. Reggie Jackson struck out 2,597 times, a sum greater than the 2,584 hits he collected. But it didn't keep him out of the Hall of Fame.</p><p>Myers looks like the next Evan Longoria. He may be a fixture in the Royals' outfield for many years.</p><p>Levi Michael, who starred at North Davidson and UNC, looks to be a couple of years behind Myers in terms of reaching the bigs even if his path is less certain. Myers went straight from high school to the Royals' system after being drafted in the third round in 2009. Michael played at UNC for three years before being the Minnesota Twins' first-round pick in 2011.</p><p>There's so much upside for Michael, who made his pro debut at the Advanced-A level and hit .246 at Fort Myers. Michael won't turn 22 until Feb. 9, 2013 and he's really a year ahead in the game. After graduating early from North Davidson, Michael was playing his freshman season for the Tar Heels when he still could have been a senior in high school.</p><p>Because he's a first-round pick and the Twins have a lot of money invested in him, Michael will be given every chance to succeed. </p><p>Avoiding injuries is crucial for Michael or any other player. David Thomas looked to be on his way up in the Oakland A's system but injuries slowed him. The A's released Thomas during spring training in what would have been his fourth season. The former Ledford and Catawba star played two more seasons for the independent Grand Prairie Air Hogs in Texas before retiring from the game.</p><p>Mike Duprez can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 218 or mike.duprez@the-dispatch.com.</p>